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2/11/12

Ride Home 2/10: Can I borrow a feeling?

It was a Bikeshare kind of night and my 8 mile commute is kind of long for one undertaken on a CaBi, but the fact that the system can do it speaks a lot for the quality and diffusion of the system. One built a different way, with a denser grouping of stations solely downtown wouldn't get me home.
It took me 25:36 to get from Ward Circle to New York and 15th (NW) and another 17:34 to get to 15th and Independence (SE) and another 3:36 to walk home. That's 20 minutes faster than my Metro trip in the morning. But, then again, it was downhill. But then again again, I didn't have to idle for 20 minutes or cram in with a bunch of strangers.
There's a maximum velocity that a CaBi can achieve while going downhill before pedaling is pointless. I still pedal anyway, just for show. Don't want the drivers to think that I'm not even trying to ruin their days. Actually, it just gives me something to do.
I didn't notice any kind of "Dick Van Dyke" effect from drivers while I biked home in normal clothes and without a helmet. Pretty much the same as always. However, I did notice a bit of difference in the attitude of other bicyclists towards me on the CaBi. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid. But it seemed like non-CaBi riders were a bit dismissive. But then again, other Bikeshare riders seemed dismissive of me as well, with at least one of them engaging in classic maneuvers like pedaling past me at a red light. This was at K and 15th and the result was that he got to wait at the red light to cross roughly 20 feet in front of me. That's cool.
People waiting in line for those Loudon County commuter buses always seem so sad.
Apparently, the head-covering of choice by the non-helmet wearing male members of #bikeDC is the wool winter hat. Almost no baseball caps.
From 15th, I took Pennsylvania, as usual. I noticed some street art:

X walks the spot.

From a distance, I thought it said "Fool," but when I got closer I realized that the first "o" was a "u" and the "ol" was a "ck." This must be a commentary on the somewhat poor design of how the bike lanes interact with the crosswalks. Or some kid wanted to write a bad word in marker.
Does anyone else, when coasting on a CaBi, pick their feet off the pedals and rest them in the middle on the frame? It's fun.
I think I'm going to get my chain replaced today. So, that'll be cool. Have a nice weekend.